Dan Snow's History Hit

Dan tells a story as dramatic, unlikely and exciting as any ever penned by an author about one of Britain's greatest sailors. Thomas Lord Cochrane was a naval commander with an illustrious career in the Napoleonic Wars who once strapped himself to a floating bomb, in a rising storm, in the dead of a moonless night to take out a French fleet. Another time, he convinced an enemy force to surrender to a navy that didn’t exist. Napoleon dubbed him 'The Sea Wolf'.

In part 1 of this 3-part series, Dan delves into Cochrane's early life and career starting out as a young man discovering a penchant for the sea, adventure and war.

The whole series is available now for paying subscribers- you can sign up for the Apple app or at the link below.

The rest of the series will be available for all listeners from Monday 8th January.

Written by Dan Snow, produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Joseph Knight and sound designed & mixed by Dougal Patmore.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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The Romanov family were the first imperial dynasty to rule Russia, reigning from the early seventeenth century until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Including such illustrious names as Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Alexander I, they oversaw dramatic changes to the fabric of Russian society and culture. Through conquest and expansion, they carved out a Russian Empire and propelled their nation into great power status. The myth and memory of the Romanovs still permeate Russian identity and history today.

Dan catches up with Orlando Figes, distinguished historian and an expert on Romanov Russia whose acclaimed books, including A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891 - 1924, help to shed light on this crucial portion of Russian history.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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The Aztec Empire was a large and sophisticated one, stretching at its height from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico. But in August 1521, after a last stand on the steps of their temple buildings, the Aztec defenders of Tenochtitlan surrendered to the Spanish forces of Hernán Cortés and his Mesoamerican allies.

To talk about the fall of the Aztec Empire, Dan is joined by Matthew Restall, Director of Latin American Studies at Penn State University. Matthew challenges some of the commonly held views on how Cortés was able to achieve this feat, how the fall of Tenochtitlan was not the end of the war and the myth of Spanish superiority.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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If you’re enjoying a glass of port during the festive period, you have the world’s oldest treaty to thank.

Winston Churchill once described the Anglo-Portuguese alliance as ‘without parallel in world history.’ Forged in the backdrop of the Hundred Years War 650 years ago, the alliance is the oldest in the world.

In this episode Dan explores the medieval roots of this diplomatic friendship, which has benefitted both nations politically, culturally, and commercially.

Hear why John of Gaunt travelled to an unassuming town outside Porto to lay the foundations of the alliance in the 1300s, and find out how often the treaty’s been invoked in the six centuries since. 

From the hills of Porto to west London, Dan and the History Hit team uncover the incredible history of the world's oldest alliance.

Produced and mixed by Mariana Des Forges and Charlotte Long. Special thanks to Portugal-UK 650, Maria Joao Rodrigues de Araujo, and the City Council of Vizela.

Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BLACKFRIDAY sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

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In August, 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie led a rebellion that brought the Jacobite cause closer to seizing the throne than any other. He had landed with only a handful of his most trusted supporters, but a mixture of gold, charisma and old loyalties soon brought a large number of followers to his side as they attempted to overthrow the British crown. The rebellion grew in momentum with early successes on the battlefield and marched south reaching as far as Derby before turning back north. However, the noose around the Bonny Prince Charlie and the Jacobite rebels was tightening, and in April 1746 they were decisively defeated by superior British forces at the Battle of Culloden.

Guiding Dan through the 1745 uprising is Professor Murray Pittock from the University of Glasgow. Murray provides a comprehensive overview of what the Jacobites wanted, the events of the revolt and the fate of its leader Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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What comes to your mind when you think of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek polymath? Some might think of the Pythagorean theorem, a foundational principle of mathematics. But he was also the enigmatic founder of Pythagoreanism, a mysterious secret society that strove to create a utopia on earth.

Today Dan is joined by Kristen Ghodsee, an ethnographer and author of Everyday Utopia. Kristen delves into this ancient social experiment, and talks about other attempts at paradise in the millennia since.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Ella Blaxill.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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Where is the grave of King Arthur? What was the worst year in human history? Who were the most fractious royal siblings? What were the origins of humble pie? Which monsters pre-occupied Medieval minds?

In this episode, Gone Medieval’s co-hosts Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega delve into some of the big Medieval questions, obscure facts and bizarre stories featured in History Hit Miscellany, our fascinating and entertaining new book published this month.

The History Hit Miscellany was published on September 28, visit historyhit.com/book to order from your favourite book shop.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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It's that time of year when the beloved Santa Claus comes around once again. But the celebrated image of this prolific gift-giver is based on an even more fabled figure - that of Saint Nicholas, a 3rd century Christian bishop famed for his generosity and compassion. He was thought to be a miracle worker, and through his divine acts he became one of Christianity's most popular patron saints.

His life is unsurprisingly shrouded in myth and legend, so help make sense of it all, Dan is joined once again by Eleanor Janega, co-host of the Gone Medieval podcast.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Ella Blaxill.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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The Second World War is remembered for its colossal battles in the air, on land and at sea. But perhaps the most terrifying were those waged UNDER the ocean, against an unseen enemy. By the end of 1941, cumbersome shipping convoys were Britain's only lifeline. Protecting them proved a difficult task, and German U-boats hunting in wolf packs sank merchant ships faster than they could be built. But into this loosing battle stepped the British naval officer and pioneer of anti-submarine warfare, Frederic 'Johnnie' Walker.

Dan is joined by Angus Konstam, author of The Convoy, to take us through the remarkable story of Convoy HG-76, and explain how Captain Walker turned the hunted into the hunters.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Ella Blaxill.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

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On December 16th, 1773, a band of American patriots quietly boarded three ships in Boston Harbour, under the cover of night. Armed with axes and hatchets, they pried open the crates on board and poured their contents into the ocean. The crates contained tea; black-leaved Bohea and green tea from China. Some 92,000 pounds of it cascaded over the side in protest of British taxation in the American colonies.

These men were known as the Sons of Liberty, and they had just lit a powder keg that would lead to the explosive American revolution, and shake the British Empire to its core. In this Explainer episode, Dan takes us through the twists and turns of this foundational event in American and world history.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.